You throw the ball. You catch the ball. You hit the ball…Of course, baseball fans know that this line from Bull Durham is far from true, part of the humor of the movie and a huge part of the fun of the game. This blog is a space to talk about baseball, being a baseball fan, all of those things that make the game fun and the Angels, because they make baseball fun for me.

Angels’ Wild Card Bid Gets Even Wilder

This end of the regular season prep, ball park therapy is great and all, but I have to say that my second session was significantly less satisfying than my first. Eight innings of solid pitching love from Zack Greinke went sadly unrequited by the Angels offense and were outright spurned by the bullpen in the 9th. It was deflating. (No, worries though, subsequent Angels victories have buoyed my spirits, but I’ll get to that. :) )

Zack Greinke pitched a gem, for the second time in a row, and the offense and bullpen let him down, for the second time in a row. Yikes! Angels vs. Rangers, September 20, 2012. Photo by This is a very simple game…

Michael Young watches strike three go right into Chris Iannetta’s glove. And for much of Zack Greinke’s outing, yeah, it was like that! Angels vs. Rangers, September 20, 2012. Photo by This is a very simple game…

Now, I didn’t expect the Angels to sweep the Rangers by any means. I was fairly certain they‘d win the first game with Jered Weaver on the mound. But, to be honest, I rather expected the Angels would lose Wednesday night’s game. Of course all of my jokes about CJ Wilson being the Arlinington Candidate are just that, but the facts of the matter are he’s rarely been good for much of the second half and he hasn’t been good against the Rangers this season. I did, however, think the Angels had a real chance to take the series on Thursday and, as it turns out, they did have chance. They just didn’t seize that chance, as attested to even more strongly by the long line of 0’s peppered with a few 1s and one 2 in the hit column than Ernesto Frieri’s errant pitch turned nifty souvenir for some “lucky” fan in fair territory in the 9th. Like I said, deflating…until the White Sox series!!

C.J. Wilson chats at the rail. “It’s the weirdest thing. Sometimes, when I’m pitching against the Rangers, Wash just starting holding up cards from a deck and then, I don’t know why, but I can’t pitch a strike to save my life.” Angels vs. Rangers, September 20, 2012. Photo by This is a very simple game…

Alight! Great inning guys! Now let’s pick up those bats and score some runs.. Guys? Some runs? Guys? Any time now. Some runs. Any. Time. Now. (Or, you know, Torii Hunter, Howie Kendrick and Mike Trout follow Erick Aybar into the dugout where Alberto Callaspo is apparentlly touching Bobby Wilson for luck…or to annoy him. Who can say?) Angels vs. Rangers, September 20, 2012. Photo by This is a very simple game…

I know, I know, it’s only two wins and the Angels now have a long, long, looooooooong shot ahead of them to earn a wild card berth. But that would be practicality and rationality speaking. I think all diehard baseball fans are just a little bit crazy to begin with and only become more so when the post season is still a faint hope. To wit, one win against the Rangers and I was hopeful. Two straight losses against the Rangers and I believed that those faint notes I was hearing in the distance were the fabled fat lady going through her warm up scales…

Chris Iannetta had the best night at the plate. While he doesn’t always have a good night at the plate, I’ll take .250 something over .190 something every day! Angels vs. Rangers, September 20, 2012. Photo by This is a very simple game…

Oh Trumbo and Pujols I understand. The offense makes me feel like that too sometimes. But the next night they got bet-tah! Angels vs. Rangers, September 20, 2012. Photo by This is a very simple game…

…But one solid Angels victory against the White Sox (with way more than the mere requisite pieces of flair in my estimation!) and I start thinking dreamy eyed Angels happy thoughts again. You know, all the Angels have to do is sweep the White Sox and then it would just like winning both the Sox and Rangers series, right? I mean, the White Sox are only in first place in their division with a few players having career years. Pshaw, how hard could that be? Then Baltimore won today and I started hearing those scales again only to have hope return when the A’s lost. Now with a second Angels victory, I’m back to dreamy thoughts of a sweep…hey it could happen. Jered Weaver is on the mound tomorrow.

Alberto Callaspo, Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick warm up in between innings. Angels vs. Rangers, September 20, 2012. Photo by This is a very simple game…

Mark Trumbo did get a hit this game, but he was still swinging frustrated and even attempting to bunt his way on at odd moments on Thursday. However, he was all smiles tonight! Hopefully he can build on this and finish the season strong. Angels vs. Rangers, September 20, 2012. Photo by This is a very simple game…

And then? Okay, now I will be rational. The Angels really can’t afford to lose more than one or two more games before the end of the season and the A’s have to lose a lot more than that. The Angels have to stop filling the bases up with no outs only to strand every runner at the end of the inning. The starters and bullpen need to need to be spot on. No more base running gaffes. No more fielding gaffes. Practically speaking, the Angels need to play playoff baseball now and for the rest of the season however long that may be. Possible? Oh hell yes. Probable? We shall see. Fun? Absolutely! More ball park therapy, please. Stat!

And, in the meantime, enjoy a few more pics from the ballgame on Thursday:

Nelson Cruz and Albert Pujols chat at first base. What could they be talking about? “Nelson, I felt so bad for you last year in the Series, man. That missed catch. *shakes head, then laughs* No, I shouldn’t lie to you like that. That was the best play ever, man. We watched it again and agian with the kids at Christmas!” Angels vs. Rangers, September 20, 2012. Photo by This is a very simple game…

Eric Aybar and Michael Young chat at third. Okay, not the best photo. But let’s take a moment to appreciate the expression on Aybar’s face. What hilarious things was Young saying? Angels vs. Rangers, September 20, 2012. Photo by This is a very simple game…

Everyone loves Mike Trout. Even umpires are a little star struck…okay, probably not really, but they are always chatting with him during warm ups. Angels vs. Rangers, September 20, 2012. Photo by This is a very simple game…

6 Comments

Great pics as usual, Kristen, from this post and the last one. The Angels did a great job against the ChiSox, and hopefully will gain that wild card. Would love to see what the Angels could do in the post season.
–Mike

Of course it could Jeff. Mike Trout vs. the AL East. He’ll pitch and play every position, then get on base and launch a bomb into the bleachers to bring himself home, Bugs Bunny style. Instant best post season ever.

Ballgame theraphy! Yeah that is what I need. Aiming to go to the last 6 remaining games at Dodger Stadium. Need my theraphy. Long week after taking Thusday and Friday off last week.
You take such great pictures Kristen. love the trout foam hats BUT NOT ON ME! LOL
-Emma

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